Theodora
Mediterranean restaurant · Fort Greene ·
Mediterranean restaurant with open kitchen, dry-aged fish, wood-fired dishes
Mediterranean restaurant with open kitchen, dry-aged fish, wood-fired dishes
"Dry-aged branzino tastes better when roasted in a charcoal oven and served in a beige room best described as desert chic. For a casual night out with lots of smoky flavors and very fine ceramics, choose Theodora. At this Fort Greene spot from the team that brought you Miss Ada, fish is the focus, and the menu leans Mediterranean, with unexpected twists. Eat some yellow fin tuna served on lavash, and wood-fired prawns with pineapple pico de gallo. Reservations are hard to come by, but there are a few tables and plenty of bar seats saved for walk-ins. Reservations get released online 30 days in advance at 9am. They save the bar and a few tables for walk-ins, and waits aren’t atrocious. At 7pm on a Wednesday, the host quoted us 30-45 minutes for two spots at the bar. For a solo diner, there was no wait at all." - bryan kim, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman
"Verdict: A lovely place that looks like a high-end resort in Tulum. The beige walls and custom ceramics are all very soothing, and the wood-fired Mediterranean food tastes nice and smoky. Try this Fort Greene spot for a casual date night, and order the dry-aged branzino. Reservations get released online 30 days in advance at 9am. They save the bar and a few tables for walk-ins, and waits aren’t atrocious. At 7pm on a Wednesday, the host quoted us 30-45 minutes for two spots at the bar. For a solo diner, there was no wait at all." - bryan kim
"Theodora is from the same people behind Miss Ada, and we like to think about it as a slightly more grown-up version of their original restaurant, with way more fish. Fish drawings on the menu, for instance. Fish matchboxes by the door. Fish sizzling away on the grills in the open kitchen, and hiramasa hanging in a dry-ager. You'll see groups crowded into the back room, sipping feta brine tequila cocktails and passing around whole branzino, and couples perched at the bar sharing red snapper ceviche. It’s a great place to spend a Thursday evening. Prioritize the small seafood plates, and the za’atar kubaneh, which tastes like a savory cinnamon roll. Reservations get released online 30 days in advance at 9am. They save the bar and a few tables for walk-ins, and waits aren’t atrocious. At 7pm on a Wednesday, the host quoted us 30-45 minutes for two spots at the bar. For a solo diner, there was no wait at all." - willa moore, bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick
"Open fire is at the heart of this one-year-old Brooklyn restaurant, where the showmanship of cooking over live flame and smoke-infused Mediterranean flavors draws diners who often wait in line to sample owner and executive chef Tomer Blechman’s menu. The offerings are organized into crudo, breads from sister bakery Thea, wood-fired vegetables, and mains showcasing grilled and high-heat-oven–cooked proteins, with a particular focus on dry-aged fish and a standout spatchcocked chicken marinated for three days in lemons, olive oil, Serrano peppers, thyme, and rosemary. Chefs slow-cook lima beans overnight with two burning logs and finish them with chicken broth as the perfect companion to the grilled chicken, while sourdough from the bakery becomes the base for a popular brown butter toast with whipped ricotta. Dry-aged fish appears as crispy roasted branzino and a red snapper ceviche with grilled pineapple, basil, and lime vinaigrette, and the kitchen uses the whole fish—rendering gelatin from heads into a creamy sauce and combining dried bones with seaweed to make a long-simmered dashi. A Moroccan-style fish stew spiked with gochujang is finished with a quickly seared tilefish, slow-cooked vegetables, and toasted cassava flour; other mains include butterflied trout with harissa and chermoula, bone-in branzino dry-aged four days with rosemary, and slow-roasted chicken tossed with charred carrots in an anchovy sauce. The overall aim is a convivial, flavor-forward experience that encourages guests to enjoy each other’s company while exploring bold, caramelized, umami-rich dishes." - Emily Venezky
"Popular Fort Greene Mediterranean spot Miss Ada, home of the pinkest beet hummus in all of NYC, is getting a sibling. Theodora will also be Mediterranean, with an emphasis on dry-aged fish, seasonal produce, and wood-fired cooking. The restaurant will have a selection of natural wine, which is very hot right now. Reservations get released online 30 days in advance at 9am. They save the bar and a few tables for walk-ins, and waits aren’t atrocious. At 7pm on a Wednesday, the host quoted us 30-45 minutes for two spots at the bar. For a solo diner, there was no wait at all." - bryan kim, neha talreja, willa moore